Picture Yourself is led by Dr Tricia King, Senior Lecturer in Photography and scholar in Creative Ageing. The team includes Dr Leah Barclay, Megan Williams, and Dr Zalia Powell. We have received funding for the project from Creative Australia and the University of the Sunshine Coast.

Picture Yourself is a research-led, participatory photography project that explores how ageing is represented in visual media and how older adults can play a central role in reshaping these narratives. Funded by Creative Australia and the University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC), the project brings together creative practice and social research to address a core research question: how can collaborative photography expand and diversify visual representations of ageing in Australia?

The project responds to growing evidence that older adults are often underrepresented or stereotypically portrayed in media and visual culture. To better understand this issue, the research team undertook a mixed-methods research program that included a national survey exploring public perceptions of ageing imagery, scoping reviews of existing literature and image banks, and focus groups with older adults discussing how ageing is visually represented. Together, these studies revealed widespread concern about the limited and often negative portrayals of later life, alongside strong interest in creating images that reflect the diversity, agency, and everyday experiences of ageing.

Building on these findings, Picture Yourself adopted a participatory photography approach, supporting older adults to become both photographers and models in the creation of new imagery. Through workshops, community outreach, and collaboration with photography clubs and networks across Australia, the project delivered group training sessions focused on creating engaging, contemporary images of later life. These workshops, supported through Creative Australia funding to build artistic capacity in communities, introduced participants to photographic storytelling, ethical image-making, and strategies for representing ageing in respectful and authentic ways.